Lighten-Up a Shadowy Photo-Shoot

by Natalie McConnell

There it is - the perfect setup for a photo! Everything is in place from the smile to the outfit. The only problem is that someone forgot to tell the sunlight! Light can be your nemesis when it comes to shooting that perfect picture; it just never seems to land in the right spot, and continually casts a gloom on the shot. But you can control the light. That's right; your camera's exposure button makes you the all-powerful light keeper!

Exposure - or the amount of light your camera sees - is actually quite easy to control. Select the button with the +/- icon to increase or decrease the amount of extra light needed for your picture. Check out Kim Watson's before and after shots of her son to see the huge difference taking control of exposure control can make to your photos.

By adding a fill flash and brightening the exposure, Kim ended up with a perfectly-lit photo despite the bright sunlight. Kim included her updated photo on an adorable layout, which you can check out below!

Kim's layout revolves around the added-exposure photo of her son. The brightness and warmth of the photo sets the tone for the surrounding embellishments and additional photos on the layout. Try experimenting with your own camera's exposure button and see what great photos you can turn out!

For additional tips on taking your camera off "auto," check out the Sept./Oct. 2012 issue of Creaking Keepsakes. And, of course, you can always find fast and user-friendly tips in the "Photo Tricks" section in the other issues of CK.